EC3 (Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator)
A free and easy to use tool that allows benchmarking, assessment and reductions in embodied carbon, focused on the upfront supply chain emissions of construction materials.
Overview
The Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) is a free, cloud-based tool developed by the non-profit Building Transparency. It enables users to benchmark, assess, and reduce the embodied carbon of construction materials by utilizing a database of third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). The tool integrates with BIM models and construction estimates to analyze a project's overall carbon footprint, helping stakeholders make informed decisions during design and procurement to specify and purchase low-carbon materials.
✨ Key Features
- Benchmarking and assessment of embodied carbon
- Database of digital, third-party verified EPDs
- Integration with BIM and construction estimating tools
- Project-level embodied carbon tracking
- Comparison of different material suppliers
- Open-access and free to use
🎯 Key Differentiators
- Completely free and open-access
- Focus on procurement and material selection
- Large, digitized EPD database
Unique Value: Provides free, open, and actionable embodied carbon data to empower low-carbon material specification and procurement across the construction industry.
🎯 Use Cases (4)
✅ Best For
- Used by Microsoft to reduce concrete and steel emissions by 30-60% across its building portfolio.
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- Operational carbon calculations
- Full life-cycle assessment (LCA) beyond cradle-to-gate (A1-A3) stages
🏆 Alternatives
Unlike paid LCA tools, EC3 is free and focuses specifically on the procurement phase (A1-A3 emissions), making it highly accessible for contractors to compare and select lower-carbon products.
💻 Platforms
🔌 Integrations
🛟 Support Options
- ✓ Email Support
💰 Pricing
Free tier: The entire tool is free and open access.
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